Postmarking and canceling machine.



No. 877,851. l

W. B. MARTINDALE.

POSTMARKING AND ANCELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR,11. 1907.

PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

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No. 877,851. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

y W. B. MARTINDALE.

PGSTMARKING AND OANGELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR,11.1907.

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'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN B. MARTINDALE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TIME MARKING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

POSTMARKING AND CANCELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1908.

Application filed March ll. 190,7. Serial No. 361.796.

.T o all whom it may concern.' A

Be it known that I, WARREN B. MARTIN- DALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Postmarking and Canceling Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding letters of reference in the different iigures indicate like parts.

This invention has reference toimprovements in mail-marking machines of that class in which a printing die is caused to rotate continuously, and one of its objects is to cause accurate rinting registration by providing means w ereby the same relative portion of each mail-piece or spot may be presented to the die` another obj ect is to provide means for preventing the impression roll from becoming inked and oifsetting the impression upon the backs of the respective mail pieces, while a still further object is to provide means for holding the impression roll normally out of contact with the printing die without positively locking it in position or opposing it to the stress of the spring by which it is intended to be yieldingly held against a mail piece, except during the actu al passage of the latter. In other words, it is my purpose to provide means, the elements of which are so combined that the passage of a mailiece may serve to establish such a relation etween the parts that an impression spring may be brought into action and caused to exert its force upon the impression roll only during the passage of such mail piece without having to overcome any counterforce other than what may be necessary to maintain the coacting elements in their respective normal positions.

The novel features of the invention consist in providing a positive stop for timing the forward movement of the mail pieces in synchronism with the movement of the printing die and providing means in conjunction with said stop for causing the latter to remain closed until the proper instant occurs for the advancement of the mail-piece so that it may be engaged by the feed-rolls and positively forwarded in exact registration with .the printing die.

I am aware that it is not new to cause the impression roll to be held normally out of contact with the printing die and to cause it t'o be pressed down against the die during the passage of the letter, but in all prior constructions it has been necessary to overcome the l stress of the impression spring in separating the impression roll from the die, thereby necessitating great waste of power and subj ecting the mechanism to frequent derangement on account of the severe stress which of necessity must result from a high speed and a reciprocatory motion. With a view of accomplishing the obj ects stated, my invention consists in the combination of elements hereinafter more particularly described and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l, is a plan view of a portion of a time marking machine embodying the features of my invention, Fig. 2, is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion thereof, taken upon the line 2 2, Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows there shown, Fig. 3, is a plan view of the stop mechanism for timing the advance of the mail pieces, Fig. 4, is an elevation thereof, partly in section, the view being taken upon the line 4-4, Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow there shown, Fig. 5, is a plan view of a portion of the stop mechanism taken upon the line 55, Fig. 4. Fig. 6, is a detail view of the gate for arresting the mail pieces, and Fig. 7, is a detail view of the cam for controlling the impression roll mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1, Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, represents aportion of the main frameplate of the machine, which, with other well known parts, serves to provide bearings for the respective shafts of the gear-train by means of which the several elements are actuated. The usual well-known feed-roll 2, Fig. l, having a feed-belt 3, is arranged to operate in conjunction with the ordinary retarding roll 4, to feed the mail pieces to the machine in the direction indicated by the arrow. A yielding spring-controlled vertical shield-plate 5, in conjunction with a stationary shield 6, Figs. 3 and 4, is arranged to guide the mail-pieces. Rigidly supported in any suitable way above the main frame-plate, is a plate 7, to which is rigidly attached a vertical stud 8 upon which is clamped stationary shields 9 and 10, one at the bottom and the other at the top forming in effect, a continuation of the shield 6. Hinged at 11, 1l, Fig. 4, upon the stud 8, is a movable gate or timing stop, generally designated by 12, the'body of 'stop therefor. A

arranged to extend downwardly through an opening 14 in the plate 7, one wall f said opening .forming a stop therefor as shown in Fig. 5, when the part 12 is in its nor'mal position.

A rigid arm 15, Figs. 3 and 4, is extended rearwardly from the lower hinge of gate 12l and' connected by means of a coiled spring 16 to ak stud 17 upon the plate 7, by means of whichpthe timing stop is yieldingly held in a normal position. Said timing stop is provided with fingers 18, which project across the pathway of the mail-pieces between the shields 5 and 9 and 10. A tripping finger 19 vis clamped upon a vertical shaft 20, having a bearing in .a sleeve 21 `rigidly attached to the plate 7. t Said shaft extends downwardly through said plate, and is enlarged as shown at 22 Figs. 4 and 5, so as to form a shoulder beneath saidv plate. A cam 23 is formed upon the lower end of the shaft for the purpose hereinafter stated. The finger 19 is ar'- ran ed toystand normally across the path of the etters and is adapted to pass into a notch 24,i Fig. 4, in the part 12 which part .forms a ight coiled spring 25, Fig. 4, one end of which is attached to the sleeve and ytheother to the shaft, serves to maintain said finger in a normal position as shown in Fig. 3.

A'lever 26, Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, is pivotally mounted upon a stud 27, arranged to project below said lever as indicated in ydotted lines in Fig. 4, which stud is providedlvwith a roller 28 ada ted to bear against a cam 29 upon a sha 't 30 which is gearedto rotate in unison with the printing die. A` bent lever 31 is jointedly connected atV 32 to the opposite end of the lever 26, the

short arm 33 of the former being connected by means of a sfpring 34-with a stud 34a, Fig. l,l upon the rame. The free end of the long arm of the lever 31 is in operative proximity to the cam 23 upon the shaft 20, and thev depending arm 13 upon the body of the timing stop. A notch 35, Fig. 5, is formed in said lever, one edge, 36, of which is in substantial i alinement with that edge of the arm 13 which abutspnormally against the wall of the opening 14. A detent 37 upon `the end of the lever is adapted'to bear against the face of the ,cam 23 when the latter is in its normal position, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5,- but is so placed as to move past said cam when the atter is in anabnormal position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, whereby bringing the cam 23 and arm 13 within the notch 35. The tension of the spring 34 vtends to throw the lever 31 into the position last described, while at the same time said lever is being constantly reciprocated through the action of the lever 26. The purpose of f this reciprocatory movement is to open the gate'which constitutes v the positive time-stop or, in other words, to actuate the part 1.2 so as to remove the fingers 18 from the path of the letter.

This is accomplished by the reciprocatory action of the lever 31 against the part 13, when the cam 23 is moved to permit said lever to move into the position indicated in` dotted lines. lt is essential, that the lever 31 should be restored to its normal position as soon as this object is accomplished, so as to permit the trigger-finger 19, as well as the time-stop, to be restored to their respective normal positions, so as to control the movement of the next succeeding mailpiece. This is accomplished by means of the following described mechanism. Loosely fitted in a horizontal bearing 38, so as to slide therein, is a bar 39, one end of which is adapted to abut against a depending lug 40, upon the bottom face of thelever 31 as shown in full lines in Fig. 4 and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Upon the opposite end of the bar 39 is a detent 41which is adapted to be engaged by av cam 42 upon the shaft 30. Said cam is provided with a shoulder 43, Fig. 3, which allows the bar 39 to be pushed inwardly at the proper time by the action of the-lever 31, provided the cam 23, Fig. 5, is in position to permit such action. In other words, the pur ose of saidcam 42 and bar 39 is to prevent the lever 31 from being moved into plosition shown in dotted lines in Fig.` 5, and t ereby permanently opening the gate 12.

The fingers 18 of the timing stop are located in the bight of auxiliary feed-rolls 44,

45, which are timed to the movement of the printing die, the former being mounted upon a well known form of yielding bearing.

vertical shield 46, located u on the side of the path upon which the rol er 44 is placed, is provided for directing the mail-pieces. The distance between the points fof contact of the auxiliary feed rolls and the corresponding points between the printing wheel 31 and' impression roll 47, is preferably somewhat less than the length of the shortest mailpiece so that the mail-pieces may be transferred by positive action into engagement with the printing die,-thereby preventing the possibility of retardation or acceleration, and causing each mail-piece to register accurately with the die.

The impression roller 47 is mounted upon vthe usual jointed shaft 48, the upper portion of which has its bearing in a yoke 49 upon the end of a swinging arm 50, the other .end of which is suitably pivoted to a stationary point u on the frame. Said impression roll is yieldmgly held away from the printing die 31 either by means of a light spring 51, or by the action of the gearing, by which the shaft 48 is operated. I have found the latter to be `quite sufficient in practice owing to the fact that my improved device does notconof a mail-piece and that as a resultof the passage of such mail-piece which serves to actuate a trigger mechanism, thereby enabling other elements to act in conjunction with the impression spring to cause its force to be utilized.

Clamped upon a sleeve 52, is a trigger 53 which is adjusted to extend normally across the letter pathway at an oblique angle thereto, as shown at Fig. 1. Said sleeve is pivotally mounted upon a stud 54. A light coiled spring 55, connected at one end of the sleeve and at the other with a stud 56, Fig. 2,

serves to hold said sleeve in a normal posi-4 tion, a stop, not shown, limiting its backward movement. Upon the lower end of the sleeve is a cam 57, shown in Fig. 2 and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Rigidly attached to the yoke 49, is an arm 5S in operative proximity to the cam 57. Said cam is of such a shape and so adjusted with reference to the trigger 53 that when the latter' is in its mormal position the cam is interposed between its axis and a roller 58a upon the end of the arm 58 thereby acting as a positive obstruction to the movement of the impression roll towards the printing die. As soon, however, as the trigger is moved by the passage of a mail-piece, the cut-away portion of the cam is presented opposite to the end of the arm 58 and the impression roll is free to be moved forward. A pin 59, secured to the frame, serves as a stop to limit the movement of the trigger. The mechanism for accomplishing this result will now be described.

Jointedly attached at 6() to the arm 5S, is one end of a lever 61, the opposite end of which is connected by means of a coiled spring 62 to a stud 63. A roller 64, Fig. 2, beneath said lever, is arranged to bear against a cam 64a upon the shaft 30. Pivotally connected at 64 to the lever 61 is a sliding cam generally designated by 65, having a wedge-shaped portion 66, near its free end. Said cam is interposed between a shoulder 67 upon the rear of the yoke 49 and a corresponding shoulder or projection 68 attached to .the free end of an impression spring 69. The opposite end of said impression spring is rigidly attached to a support 70, Fig. 1, upon the frame, while the free end bears normally against a flat surface 71, upon a stop-pin 71a, better shown in Fig.,2 which serves to limit its movement towards the impression roll. The body of the cani 65, which rests normally between the shoulders 67 and 68, is of such thickness as to permit the impression roll to stand away from the printing roll 31, as shown in Fig. 1, while the thickness of the cam at its widest part corresponds tothe space between the faces of said rolls. It will thus be seen that the cam may be moved to an abnormal position between the shoulders and move the impression roll up to and in actual contact with the printing die, without the necessity of overcoming the tension of the impression spring,

and, hence, without the exertion of more' than normal force.

The parts remain normally locked in their respective positions by the cam. 57. the passage of a mail-piece the trigger 53 is tripped thereby, which actuates said cam and causes the cut-away portion thereof to be presented to the roller upon said arm 5S. inasmuch as the timing stop, the auxiliary feed rolls, the printing die and the cam 64a are all actuated in unison, it follows that the trigger 53 would be actuated at the same instant of time that the cut-away portion of the cam 64a would be in position to free the lever 61. This being accomplished, the spring 62 would cause the movement of said lever towards the shaft 30, thereby interposing the thick portion 66 of the wedgeshaped cam 65 between the shoulders 67 and 68, at the instant at which the mail-piece is interposed between the printing die and impression roll. The interposition of the mailpiece causes the impression roll to react upon the impression spring and the latter, normally inert, is brought under tension and so remains until the passage of the mail-piece is completed. As soon as this occurs, the cam 65 is forced back into its normal position by the action of the cam 64d and the impression roll is returned to its normal position and there locked by the interposition of the cam 57, and the trigger 53 is again in place to be acted upon by a succeeding mailpiece.

Each mail-piece, having passed the printing die, is engaged by the usual forwarding rolls 72, 73 and passed thence to stacking mechanism of any well known construction.

The reciprocating movement of the lever 61 is utilized to actuate a registering mechanism. Pivotally connected to a depending pin upon which the roller 64 is journaled, is a link 74, which is jointedly connected to one arm of an elbow lever 75, the opposite arm Upon of which is connected to a pawl 76, the tooth i 77 of which is held in contact with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 7S by means of a coiled spring 79, Fig. 2. A retaining pawl 80 is held in contact with said ratchet teeth by means of a spring 81. The pawl 76 is reciprocated with each movement of the lever 61,. Said pawl is mounted upon a shaft 82 which may be'connected in the usual way with any approved form of numbering wheels or registering mechanism.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the entire machine is unitary in its action. The mechanism by which the timing element for forwarding the mail-pieces, as well as those for controlling the movement of the impression roll being all controlled by cams upon the shaft y30. When a mail piece is forwarded by the primary feed rolls, it acts first to release the trigger 19 and rotate the cam 23 against which the detent 37 is pressed by the action of the spring 34, when it is ar-l rested by the fingers 18 of the timing stop. This movement of the cam, however, does not permit the lever 31 to be moved into position to cause the release of the timing-stop as it is obvious that such action must occur only at a predetermined time with reference to the `movement of the printing-die, and hence the lever is held against such movement until the rotation of the cam 42 brings the shoulder of said cam in position to release the bar 39. At this instant the lever 31 is moved so as to engage the arm 13, and while so engaged, a longitudinal movement is imparted to the lever 31 through the action ofthe cam 29 upon the lever 26, thereby moving the arm 13 as indicated'in dotted lines in Fig. 5, and releasing the mail-piece which is advanced by the auxiliary feed rolls 44, 45. The cam 42, in the meantime, will have engaged the bar 39 so as to move the lever 31 to its normal position, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, when the trigger 19 is restored by the action of the spring 16.

In the prior art, so far as I am aware, it has been customary to actuate the timing stop at regular intervals corresponding to the revolutions of the printing die. This principle fails to take into account any delay in the movement of the mail-pieces and hence their passage out of time and consequent failure of registration.

As a result of applicants construction, the stop can open only when a mail piece is present and ready to pass into the immediate and positive control of the auxiliary feed rolls, and thence to the printing die where its presence causes the necessary stress upon the impression spring for making the impression.

Having thus described my invention, l claim 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a printing die of a timing stop arranged to stand normally in the path of the mail-pieces, means operated synchronously with the rotation of the printing die for removing said stop from said pathway, and means for normally -obstructing the action of said stop removing means actuated by the contact of a moving mail-piece for removing said obstruction.

2. ln a machine of the class described, the combination with a continuously rotating printing die, of a stop arranged to stand normally in the pathway of the mail-pieces, means timed in harmony with the rotation of the printing die for removing said stop from said pathway, means loperative connection for normally holding.

said removing means out of operative connection with said stop, and means actuated by the passage of a mail-piece for permitting the operation of said removing means.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a printing die of a timingstop arranged to stand normally in the path of the mail-pieces, means operated synchronously with the'rotation of the printing die for removing said stop from' said pathway, means for normally obstructing said stopremoving means, means actuated by the contact of amoving mail-piece for releasing lsaid obstructing means, and means for returning said stop removing means to its normal position after the passage of a mail-piece.

4. ln a machine of the class described, the combination with a printing die of a timing stop arranged to stand normally in the path of the mail-pieces, means operated synchronously with the rotation of the printing die for removing said stop from said pathway, means for normally obstructing said stop removing means, means actuated by the contact of a moving mail-piece for releasing said obstructing means, and means for returning both said stop removing means and said releasing means to their respective normal positions after the passage of a mail-piece.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a continuously rotating printing die, of means timed to the -rotation of said die for positively forwarding mailpieces thereto, a stop in the pathway of the mail-pieces preceding said positive forwardving means, means timed in harmony with the rotation of the printing die for removing said stop from said pathway, and means for normally holding said removin means out of operative connection with said stop and for bringing the same into operative connection therewith by a passage of the mailiece.

6. In a machine of the class descriffed, the combination with a continuously rotating printing die, of primary and auxiliary feed rolls, the latter being adjusted to advance the mail-pieces by a positive action in harmony with the movement of the printing die, a stop in that portion of the pathway of the mail-pieces located in the bight of said auxiliary feed rolls, means timed 1n harmony with the rotation of the printing die for removing said stop from said pathway, means for normally holding said removing means out of with said stop, and means for bringing the same into' operative connection therewith by the passage of a mailrece. p 7. The combination with a printing die and an impression roll, of animpression spring held in position to permit the impression roll to stand normally out of contact with the die without resistance from the stress of the spring, and means, operated by passing mailpieces, for causing said impression roll to move towards the die and for interposing a positive connection between it and the impression spring whereby said roll may be pressed against the backs of the mail pieces by the stress of said spring.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a printing die and an impression spring, of an impression roll located between the spring and die, a stop for limiting the movement of the spring towards the die, the space between the spring and die being sufficient to permit the impression roll to be held normally away from the die without connection with the spring ,and means operatively controlled by a passing mail-piece for interposing a positive connection' between the spring and impression roll sufficient to fill the space between them when the periphery of the impression roll is in contactv with that of the die without producing a backward v pressure upon the spring.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a printing die and an impression roll, of an impression spring, means for limiting the movement of said spring towards said die, said impression roll being interposed between the die and spring with a normally unfilled space between to allow for a movement of said roll to and from the die without affecting the action of said spring, and means, controlled by the passage of a mail piece for interposing a positive element between said spring and impressionroll equivalent to said unfilled space,whereby the interosed body of a mail-piece during its passage between the die and roll may react upon the `impression roll to move it back against the resistance of the spring.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination with printing and impression rolls, of an impression spring, a stop for limiting its movement towards the impression roll, said spring being located at a suffie cient-distance from the printing die to enable the impression roll to be held normally out of contact with the die without causing stress upon the spring, a cam for closing the space between the impression roll and spring when the former is moved towards the printing die, and means actuated by the passage of a mailpiece for moving said cam into a position to enable said spring to form a yielding abutment for the impression roll when forced towards it by a passing mail-piece.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination with printing and impression rolls, of an impression spring, a stop for limiting its movement towards the impression roll, said spring being located at a suiii cient distance from the printing die to enable the impression roll to be held normally out of contact with the die without causing stress upon the spring, a slidable wedge having its thin portion normally interposed between the spring and impression roll, the thickness of the wider portion corresponding to the normally unoccupied space between the face of the die and thatof the impression roll, and means actuated by the passage of a mail-piece for moving said wedge into an abnormal position.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a continuously rotating die of an impression spring located at a predetermined distance from said die, a stop for limiting its movement toward said die, an impression roll interposed between said spring and die, there being an unoccupied space between the spring and die sufficient to permit the impression roll to be moved back and forth free from the influence of the spring, means for holding said impression roll normally out of contact with the die, and means released by the passage of a mail-piece for interposinga positive connection between the impression roll and spring to move said impression roll towards said die a distance corresponding to the measurement of said unoccupied space, whereby the passage of a mail-piece between the die and impression roll may serve to force the impression spring back away from its stop to an extent corresponding to the thickness of the mail-piece.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this fifth day of March 1907.

f WARREN B. MARTINDALE. Witnesses:

D. I-I. FLETCHER, CARRIE E. JORDAN. 

